Inking roller for an imprinting means



May 22, 1956 J. H. GRUvl-:R ET Al.

INKING ROLLER FOR AN IMPRINTING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1952 INVENTORS. JOHN H. GRUVER LESTER F. MITCHELL BY ATTORNEYS X May 22, 1956 J. H. GRUVER ET AL INKING ROLLER FOR AN IMPRINTING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1952 FIG. 2

l II l II i S L L .w E N TR-H R NEC O www n MRM 4M A @.F. HR w E .NT HS 3. may@ B C.

May 22, 1956 J-. H. GRUVER ET AL 2,746,388

INKING ROLLER FOR AN IMPRINTING MEANS Filed July 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lq Y V3 QQ Q A l Hill INVENTORS. JOHN H. GRUVER LESTER F. MITCHELL FIG-4 N I ATTORNEYS May 22, 1956 J H, GRUVER ET AL 2,746,388

INKING ROLLER FOR AN IMPRINTING MEANS Filed July 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG? FIG. 8

IVIRJUHN DUE IEZIE] I\I. MIN 5T. IIANTN, HIU. 125455 AB CU, |45

JOHN H. GRUVER LESTER F. MITCHELL ATTORNEYS INVENTORS.

t primary Yobjectof the"`present iiiveizitionL is to provide a"V United States Patent() Thisfinventionl relatesv to imprintingifmeamsieiective :to 15 make impressions fromprinting-devicessand fthelike 5in. print-'ing'"machines embodyingI -our novel imprintinglrnean A particular iform* of. printing' mach-ine l in? whichA oui t novel imprinting means may Lbe advantageouslyJemployed is dne"of'th`e"nature =used-in department stores;l gasoline service''stations 'andother placs 'wher-ef customers are furnished' with-` afprinting device bearing the ln'anie'y and addrssand usuallyA i other identifyingj Vinformationfpe taining Ito' the particular customerxj '@Sucn '-printingl device is isrtedn'nt theprintiiigfrrfachie-toliave'an impres'sionmade-"therefrom tonto' '-a salesl slipf klcharge "ticketi or the 1 likf* *Printing devices ofV VVthi`s"chara"cter "usually/have the'i 't type-*charactersi-formed th'ereon to' be direct *reading and impressionsaremade fromA the printing devices th-roglr-V5 i thesale's'slipdr slips' by 'applyirigin'k' to thefupwardl-y;310 dispsed srfacel'of the* sheet overlyi'gf the type char acters,`V and"hretofore thishs been^done -by yforcingf'a inked ribbr; carbon p'aperor the "likeftoward th'e sheet@- to coop'eratewiththetype characters on thev printirigdevice tol produce an impressioni '"Whl machines 'of `this 30 character-have proven to be satisfactory; "they have usually"` been" relatively/"expensivejparticularly by reason 'of the" inclusion *thereinof'nreans'forfadvancing theinkedr'ibbo carbon paper or they likeutilizedtherin;" 1"Hen`'eg the novel imprinting `'means luseful 'in printingmachinesvof the `aforesaid "characterand' 'in otherA printingl machines'- and 'which lihclude's" a novel ink bearing roller whic'h'j whenmoved` 'across' a sheetA or' the' "like"overlyi1igtypemt charctersgfiwillbeeffective to make animpression* on the(A45 upwardlyvdisposed.falee of tlie sheet l Very' frequently a 'relativelyflfarge numberiof ixnpresf i sions 'are madein vaprinting machinefof theforesaid 'charl acterin'the"'course1;of a day,`.and1wehave obseivedthat `a roller of porous'materialimpregnated" with iiik l'may have"the"`supplyof ink"exha'ustedttherefromtin a rela'f tively short time which makesiifne'cessaryt'o replace th'e""' roller.' "'Th frequency \with Iwhich roller? replacement wl'b necessary-winnt curse;dependuponj the i extent`L '.2 of use of the 'inachinej butin`n`1any instances .Where print-1 ingmachines'ofV the :aforesaid character. have' included7 aX roller ofprousmaterial impregnated with i'riki'tha'skbee A:il

observed thatlroller replacement :isfofteiiv necessary more J frequently. than is convenient, andin view of thisitis" anothei; important object of. thisiilve'ntion'to aor'dan imprintigmeans in the l'forin of a -roller or the`1ike"`andlhaving ajreservoir.` associated therewith 'in which a" 'quantitybfink'niay. be stored and intowhi'cheadditinal inklA n' maybe introduced so `as, to thereby maintain a'supply f ink' inthempriming means and thereby 'yoidlfreqena chan'g'es of the''imprinting'"incansa-` Fu'theiiand more specific bjec'ts` of the invention" are "ice 2 Li to aordfan imprint-ingemeanseintheLfform'of a roller V made of 'porousunaterial :andch'avingran 'axialeopening therein through` whicht-a supportin'gishafefor `the roller mayffbe passedpsuchfopeningebeingof larger; diameter` than? the shaft 'so thatrink-storing` means :may Ebe disposed in the openingiabouttliefshaftgeto maintainth'efink ster--V ing means under'compressiorifand thereby-insure the-- passageof. ink thercfromfinto ftheroller; :to affordfan arrangement :that is` of such=-nature that v additional i inkv n maybeintroducedvintoftheink storingmeans Afrom time to tixneg=and=toprovide=a novel arrangement of the afore-l said charaetenthat will'b'e simple andeconomical inconstruction; and efficientE andf positive in opera-tion.

Otheri :and furthernobjects 'of the presentl invention will` be 'apparentnfrorn 4the-fc ll wii1g fdescrption and claimsl andware-'llustratedin the accompanying'l'drawings which,` by vway-ofr illustration, showwaepref'erred embodiment of thevpresen-t invention and the principles thereof and what we nownconsider-to be the`best-'mode in which'we havecontemplatedeapplying these: principles? Other embodi ments of: theinvention embodying lthesame `or equivalent principles may be used andfstructuraluchanges -may'be made as desired by those 4skilledinftlie a-rt withoutdepaxting=-fromthefpresenthinventions 'and the purview of the appendedclaims. l

In the'dravvings: a; i

Figi lfisaside elevationalfview-of aeprintingmachinen e embodying VeurA novelimprintlingl meansA 'and wherein the 'f head of thefprinting-machineisvshown ininllv linesfin its loweredfeoperative.position and in dot-dash'` `lines/in its uppernand' inactive position;-11A n 3 n Fig: 2 is a View; partly in sect-ionrfsimilarfto Fig; 1? butf`showing-certaineof;theopeative-mechanisms"iii an A` operativefposition Iothe'r=thanthatuin which: the "parts are` shownxinfFig; l;

Figi is a fvertical' lsectionalisdetailview 'takezrsubstan- `v tially: on theline 3 3 on Figl 2;, v

Fig:#iaisfaitoplplairview yof th'e printing machineshown J in Figcland-wheein the coverforthe head of themachine hash-beeneremoved; fr v v Figi 5.is"a fragncntary1detaill'elevatonaltviewof our novel imprinting meanstf 't i p Fig;` 6 is'far-sectional? detail view takensubstantially on the lineG-G on Figi' 5;;

Fig; `8; isfan elevationalfview-fof aetypical printingde-l i vice `thatA may be used --With our f novel imprinting means; f al'ldfmf:

Figi/Sx is afragmentarydetailiviewf-of an adjustable f pivotalmounting-employed iny the-illustrated machine.

ln the-formv of: ourfinvention shown in thefaccompanying drawingsiour novel imprintingtmeans is: embodied in a sales` SIipmprinting-.machine:10 inthe nature'of that disclosedin the copending `applicationlof Edward I. Janke, SeriaL-Nm 111,987-, ledfA-ugust24, 1949? now Patent No.-2-,664,8l9-, cpatentedlanuary-i- 1954.--1n this machine, Vour novell ix-nprintingtrmeansv cooperates with print*V ing: devices; such as the printinge device D; Fig. 8, to prinksalesslips-such as Vareconventionally used :by de- `partment stores and .the like@ The printing machine `1) includesiia mounting base 11 thatf is adapted to be securediby screws or the like toa counteror other support locatedeadjacentyto thepla `:e` `where sales are actually v made. The 'base 11 has an upstanding rigid column 12 formedat .what maybe termed `the rear end thereof and this column terminates in a relatively atnupper surface 13 which affords a ymounting surface against which the rear end of a projecting platform 14 may be secured. This platform 14 is held in a rigid and fixed relation on the column 12 by means including a fastening bolt 15 that extends upwardly through the base 11 and the co1- umn 12 and is threaded into a threaded opening 16 formed in the platform 14. The column 12 has upwardly projecting lugs as 17 that extend upwardly from and beyond the at surface 13, and these lugs are disposed in relatively widely spaced relationship on opposite sides of the bolt 15, and are arranged to extend into complemental downwardly facing sockets 18, Fig. 3, that are formed in the lower face of the platform 14. Thus, the fastening bolt and the cooperation of the lugs 17 with the sockets 18 affords a rigid interconnection between the platform 14 and the column 12.

The platform 14 has a printing head H mounted thereon by means of a supporting pivot structure 19 that is located in a transverse horizontal position near the rear end of the platform 14 and substantially over the forward edge of the column 12. The printing head H is arranged for movement about the pivot 19 between the retracted or ineffective position thereof shown in dotdash lines in Fig. l, and the lower or operating position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and printing means including our novel imprinting means are mounted within the head H so that the printing means may be operated by means including a handle 20 to produce a printed impression from type characters that are mounted in a common horizontal printing plane upon the platform 14,

as will hereinafter be described.

To afford a mounting for the printing head H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the platform 14 is provided at its rear end with a pair of upstanding lugs 21 that are spaced laterally apart a considerable distance to afford clearance space within which certain elements of the mechanism are mounted, as will hereinafter be described. The printing head H includes an outer casing 22 that -serves to enclose the structural and operating elements of the head H. The head H comprises two main side plates 23 and 24, which are held in parallel spaced relationship by spacer rods 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, the structure of which will be described hereinafter in some instances where the specific structure is of importance. The casing 22 is releasably held in place over and about the plates 23 and 24 by suitably located spring clips 22A, Fig. 7, that are secured interiorly of the casing in such a position as to be in-sertable downwardly between and in frictional engagement with the inner or adjacent faces of the plates 23 and 24. The spacing apart of the plates 23 and 24 is such that the rear ends of the plates may extend downwardly along the opposite outer faces of the lugs 21, Fig. 3, and the pivot structure 19 is arranged to support these plates from these lugs. VAs herein shown, the pivot structure 19 comprises a central shaft 30 that extends snugly through openings 31 formed in the plates 23 and 24. This shaft 3i?. as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, extends through a sleeve 32 in an eccentric relationship with respect to the sleeve, and a lock screw 33, Fig. 9, serves to hold the shaft in a predetermined rotative position with respect to the sleeve. The sleeve 32 extends through the two lugs 21, enlarged openings 34 being afforded in the lugs to snugly receive the sleeve. With this arrangement, the vertical location of the pivot 19 as afforded by the shaft 3@ may be adjusted by relative rotation vof the shaft 30 and the eccentric sleeve 32. This adjustment may readily be accomplished by engagement of a kerf 34 that is afforded in one end of the shaft 3i). When the vertical location of the shaft 30 has been properly adjusted, this adjustment may be maintained by a set screw' 35 that is extended forwardly through one of the lugs 21 in position to engage the eccentric sleeve 32, as shown in Fig. 3.

The printing head H is normally urged to its retracted or inactive position, shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, through the action of spring means which, in the present case, includes a pair of torsion springs 36, Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, which have the coiled portions thereof surrounding the sleeve 30 between the lugs 21. Each such torsion spring 36 has an upstanding arm 36A that extends into a position forwardly of the spacer structure 25, while each torsion spring also has a second arm 36B that extends forwardly as shown in Figs. l and 2 so as to bear on the surface 36C that is afforded between the two lugs 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The action of the torsion springs 36 is to urge the printing head H to its retracted position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. l.

Within the space between the two side plates 23 and 24, means are afforded for mounting, guiding and actuating our novel imprinting means which in the present instance is guided along the desired horizontal path by guide means that are afforded along the lower edges of the side plates 23 and 24. Thus, in the present instance our novel imprinting means, indicated by P, is mounted on a supporting shaft 37 which has guide wheels 38 at its opposite ends and in the same spaced relationship as the side plates 23 and 24. These guide wheels 38 are arranged to be disposed beneath and run against elongated straight guide surfaces as 39 that are formed on the side plates 23 and 24, so as to face downwardly. The guide surface 39 terminates just to the right and just to the left, respectively, as viewed in Fig. l, of the connecting structures 26 and 27, and means supported by these connecting structures 26 and 27 are effective to engage the lower sides of the guide wheels 38 to hold the roller P against downward displacement when the printing head H is elevated. Such retaining means under the present invention are afforded by a sheet metal member 50, Fig. 7, the main body of which is dispo-sed in a vertical plane and which in each instance has an inwardly extending lower flange 51 that is arranged to underlie the adjacent guide wheel 38. The retaining members as 50 are arranged to extend beyond the two spacing structures 26 and 27, and cap screws that are a part of the spacing structures hold the retaining means as 50 in position on the respective side plates 23 and 24.

The imprinting roller P that is thus guided along a rectilinear path by the guide surfaces juist described, is arranged for actuation by means that are operated by the handle 20. In providing for lsuch actuation of the imprinting roller P along its path, a rocker structure 52 is mounted between two side plates 23 and 24 for pivotal movement on and about the spacer member 29. This rocker structure 52 is formed from sheet metal and includes a pair of bell crank arms 52A and 52B which are connected by an integral cross bar 52C. At their lower ends, the arms 52A and 52B have longitudinally extending slots 53 formed therein that are arranged respectively to embrace the mounting shaft 37 of the imprinting roller P between the ends of the roller P and the adjacent guide wheels 38. Thus, upon rocking movement of the rocker structure 52, the roller P is moved along its guideways as 39 that are afforded on the side plates 23 and 24. Such rocking movement is imparted to the rocker structure 52 by operation of the handle 20.

The handle 20 is mounted upon an angle bracket 54, which is secured to a rocker structure 5S that is mounted for rocking movement on the spacer structure 28, and the angle bracket 54 extends outwardly through an elongated slot formed in the forward wall of the casing 22. The rocker'structure 55 is formed as a stamping from sheet metal to afford a pair of spaced arms 55A and 55B that are connected by an integral cross arm 55C to which the angle bracket 54 is secured, as by means of welding. The arms 55A and 55B are so spaced that they may extend into the space between the opposite side members of the rocker structure 52. The side members 52A and 52B of the rocker structure 52 have forward extensions 52D and 52E formed thereon which are connected by a cross pin 56. The arms 55A and 55B have slots as 57 6 y .7 o is of appreciab'ly :largerzidisameter thamthediameteniofsthetefr shafte'l.ljoutz`whiclritherrollert62 isdispbseda:fhetarxialv boreroropeningz isfenIargcdry anits ends asfindicttt-tedlat,` er 64 ltir afford-:recesses:adaptedtto: receive bushings as 65-` t. which, as best shown in Fig. 6, embrace the shaft 37 andati. thereby support the roller 62 therefrom. Thus an enformed therein whiehrembracertheicrossipiny56 so that upon. rocking movement of the handle 20 from the positionfthere'o shown in Fig. -'l'v tt 'f 'the positionithereofxsh'own in Fig:` 2; a corresponding rockingmovem'ent will'beimpartedtd the"'r'ocker"structure52."'In thecourseof this 5 rocking movement; thev'rollei-"Pmovesfrom the positio Fig. 2 and in the course of this movement a printing operation is performed as will be explained presently. The parts are normally urged to the relationship shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by a pair of relatively strong tension springs 58 that are connected at their rear ends to the spacer structure 25 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and these springs are connected at their forward ends to a cross pin 59 that extends between the arms 52A and 52B above the pivotal axis that is afforded by lthe spacer structure 28.

In the structure that has thus far been described, the parts normally tend to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 1 with the housing H in the dot-dash line position thereof in ,this view. Then when the upwardly projecting handle 20 is actuated in a forward and downward direction, the torsion springs 36 are first overcome by such force and the printing head H is moved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. In the course of this initial actuation of the handle 20, the springs 58 serve to maintain the handle and the associated roller-operating mechanisms in their normal positions shown in Fig. l so that when the printing head H reaches its lower or operating position, the imprinting roller P will be disposed in its rearward position as shown in Fig. 1. Then, upon continued downward actuation of the handle 20, the parts are moved from the positions shown in Fig. 1 to the positions shown in Fig. 2, and the imprinting roller P moves forwardly along its guideways and through a printing stroke which terminates when the guide wheels 38 reach the forward ends of their guideways. The handle 20 is then allowed to return toward its upper position, and as this movement progresses, the roller P moves through a rearward printing stroke until it reaches the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and thereafter, the torsion springs 36 cause the printing head H to return to its upper or retracted position shown in dotdash lines in Fig. 1. Pivotal movement of the head H between the full line andV dot-dash line positions thereof shown in Fig. l against and under the influence of torsion springs 36 is limited by extending the end portions of a pin 60 through arcuate slots as `61 formed in the side walls of the casing 22 and `aligned arcuate slots 62 in the side plates 23 and 24, the pin 60 being mounted in the lugs as 21, as best shown in Fig. 3.

A printing `device D, when inserted into the machine 10, seats upon an anvil A, Figs. 2 and 7, so that as the imprinting means P moves from the position thereof lshown in Fig. 1 to the position thereof shown in Fig. 2

an impression will be made from the type characters on the device Dvonto a sheet S interposed between such type characters and the imprinting means. Removable type T, Fig. 7, may also be disposed to have an impression made therefrom in the course of the aforesaid movement of the imprinting means, such type and the mounting thereof being described in detail in aforesaid copending application Serial No. 111,987. The imprinting means P is effective to make impressions, as aforesaid, since a supply of ink is included therein.

Thus, the imprinting means P includes a roller 62 of porous or permeable ink impregnated material such as, forV example, the graphitic material made and sold by United States Graphite Company under the designation Graphitar No. 67 or other equivalent material. The roller 62 may also be formed of permeable hard rubber orfrom permeable metal such, for example, as that disclosed in the patent to Lohrey No. 2,199,265, patented April 30, 1940.

The roller 62 has an axial bore formed therein that closed chamber 66 is afforded in the roller 62 between the bushings 65 and about the shaft 37. A highly saturated ink bearing material 67, such as felt, is mounted in the chamber 66 about the shaft 37. In the present-instance the felt material 67 is in the form of two washers which abut at their inner ends and which at their outer ends respectively bear against the bushings 65. It is to be understood that any suitable saturatable material may be substituted for the felt washers 67. For example, porous rubber, such as that disclosed in Chollar Patent No. 2,353,877, patented July 18, 1944, maybe stored in the chamber 66.

Desirably the Washer 67 or other material to be disposed in the chamber 66 is of greater diameter than the diameter of the bore 63 so that when the material is introduced into the chamber it is placed in compression. We have found that so to do insures that ink stored in the saturatable material will flow therefrom intothe permeable roller 62. Thus the material as 67 stored in the cavity 66 serves as a reservoir to replenish ink taken from the roller 62 in the course of imprinting operations thereof.

Desirably an opening as 68 is formed in one or both of the bushings 65 and when roller 62 is removed from the machine, in the manner described hereinafter, ink may be introduced into the saturatable material 67 through each opening as 68. In this way the supply of ink in the material 67 may be replenished from time to time so as to thereby insure that the roller 62 will have a comparatively long life before ink is exhausted therefrom.

When the supply of ink in the imprinting means P is exhausted it may be removed from the machine to be replaced by another or to have a new supply of ink furnished thereto through the openings as 68. The imprinting means including the roller 62 and its associated parts may be conveniently removed from the machine `when the head H is in its upper inactive position as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1. At this time the cap screws at the ends of the spacing structures 26 and 27 are removed and thereupon retaining members as 50 may be removed from the machine. When this is done, as

can be best ascertained by referring to Fig. 7, the rollers 38 may be moved away from the guide surfaces 39, and in the course of this movement the shaft 37 is moved out of the slot 53 and thereupon the imprinting means is freed from the machine for replenishment or replacement, as has been explained.

It will be manifest from the foregoing description that we have provided an imprinting means which enable the hereinabove set forth and kindred objects of this invention to be` realized. Hence, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An inking roller for printing indicia on a sales slip or thelike, comprising a relatively rigid cylindrical body portion composed of porous ink-impregnable material,

" said body portion being formed with an axial bore, a shaft of appreciably smaller diameter than said bore and extended through said bore, means at opposite ends of said shaft sealing oif said bore, and resilient ink-impregnable material packed under compression in the portion of said bore not occupied by said shaft to serve as a reservoir for ink to be relayed by capillarity to said body portion.

7 s 2. An inking roller according to claim 1 in which the References Cited inthe le of this patent body portion is composed of porous hard rubber. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3. An inking roller ac'cording to claim 1 in which the means sealing 01T said bore are in the form of bushings 1570857 Prkns Jan' 26 1926 affording journals for journalling said roller on said 5 1608237 Rck NOV' 23 1926 shaft 1,830,145 Vleck NOV. 3, 1931 2,427,765 Chollar Sept. 23, 1947 2,620,730 Gilbert Dec. 9, 1952 

